Drum-ear



O. MEYER.

DRUM EAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO, 1920.

1,399,392. Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

YL y/gy UNITED stares PATENT @FFEQE.

OTTO MEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRUM-EAR.

To all 10720772 it may concern Be it known that I, Orro MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drum-Ears, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descripticn.

My invention relates to improvements in drum ears, and it consists in the combination, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention isv to provide a drum ear which has means for preventing the slipping of the same along the drum cord or rope.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type describedthat can be quickly adjusted and which will .not stick nor cut the drum cord or rope.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is relatively simple in construction and operation and which is not likely .to get out of order easily.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisapplication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drum, showing the device applied,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drum ear,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the drum ear, a pin that may be used therewith also being shown,

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

It is well known that perfect vibration is an absolute necessity to a good drum tone. To attain this object, it is necessary that the drum heads be adjusted and held under tension. The tension is ordinarily adjusted by means of drum cars which are disposed upon the drum rope which is passed backwardly and forwardly between the drum hooks. It has been found that the drum ears in common use are unsatisfactory in that they slipalong the rope, thereby relieving the drum tension and preventing the attainment of perfect vibration. This Specification of Letters Patent.

"of ordinary Patented Dec. 6, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 380,178.

defect in the drum ears may be occasioned by the wearing of the surface thereof, which frictionally engages the drum rope or by the fact that the same is affected by weather conditions. lVhen my improved drum car is used, slipping of the samealong the rope is prevented while the drum car may be instantly adjusted with respect to the rope to increase or lessen the tension on the drum heads.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that I show a drum having a head 1, a shell 2, counter-hoops 3, and a drum cord 4, which is passed back and forth between the drum hooks 5 which are disposed upon the counterhoops 3 in the ordinary manner. It is to be noted that the drum hooks 5 are arranged in staggered position with respect to each other. The parts described so are construction and form no part of my invention except in so far as they 00- operate with the parts about to be described.

I provide a drum ear havinga body portion 7 to which a lug 6 preferably leather is secured by means of a rivet 8 or by any other suitable means. The body portion 7 in the preferred form of the device consists of a flat metal member which has its side edges bent downwardly and then toward each other, as best seen in Fig. 4. A portion of the leather lug 6 is inserted within the body portion 7 and is curved to conform with the shape of the la ter, thus forming a lining for the body portion 7. The outer end of the leather lug 6 is formed in a convenient shape to permit the same being grasped by hand when it is desired to move the crum ear along the drum cord 4.

The body portion 7 is formed with a slot 9 and with the extensions 10, as shown in the drawings. rod-like member 11 has one end disposed within the slot 9 and is maintained therein by means of a pintle 12 which is inserted through registering openings in the extensions 10 and the rod-like member 11. The rod-like member 11 is fashioned with an upturned end 13, and is adapted to be swung about its pivot into position at right angles to and between adjacent portions of the drum cord, the outer end thereof then being in engagement with the drum shell 2, wherefore the drum ear is moved outwardly from the drum. A recess 14 is provided in the upturned end 18 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation of the device may be readily understood. Adjacentportions of the drum rope i will be placed within the drum ear in the man ner shown in Fig. 1 ofthe accompanying drawings. The cord .or rope 4: will be held therein on account of the shape of the body portion 7 which serves as a guiding member. The portion of the leather lug 6 which is inserted within the body portion? frictionally engages the drum cord i and tends to prevent the slipping of the device therealong. The rod-like member 11 which is pivoted on the pintle 1 has a diameter greater than the distance between the adjacent portions of the drum cord 4: when such portions are received within the body portion 7. Consequently to positively prevent slipping of the device it is only necessary to move the free end of the pivoted member 11 downwardly between the adjacent portions of the drum cord 4, thus spreading the adjacent portions.

It will be obvious that the drum ear cannot slip while the pivoted member 11 is in the position indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3, since the body portion 7 is positively maintained in position by tension exerted on both sides thereof by the adjacent por-- tions of the drum rope which diverge on both sides thereof. The pivoted member 11 may be conveniently operated by grasping a'pin 15 which has been inserted within therecess 14 of the end 13. It is, of course, obvious thatthe pivoted member 11 may be operated in any suitable manner. 1

It is readily apparent that modifications and adaptations of the form of the device pictured in the accompanying drawings may be provided Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as setforth in the foregoing disclosure and out lined more partlcularly in the appended I therefore consider such modificaclaims. tions and adaptations as my own.

I claim:

1. The combination in a drum of a drum ear having a body portion provided with a pair of extensions, a drum cord under tension passed and repassed through said drum ear, and a rod-1ike member mounted between said extensions for movement between adjacent portions of the drum cord and being adapted to then engage with said 7 distance between said drum ear and the adjacent portion of the drum, and being adapted to be swung about its pivot between adjacent portions of the drum cord, thereby spreading such adjacent portions apart and moving the drum ear outwardly fro the drum.

OTTO MEYER. 

